1. Statement of the Technical Field
The invention concerns systems and methods for planning and executing hikes. More particularly, the invention concerns online systems and methods for planning and tracking hikes, including provision of a database with hiking plans, periodic position checks and online hiking direction assistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several systems in use today to assist a user with planning a hiking trip. For example, online systems are available for providing information on available hiking trails within a geographic area, which allow a user to plan a trip. Some of these systems provide hiking trail information as well as links to other informative online sites where additional information can be found.
The advent and wide use of mobile devices, such as but not limited to smartphones, has provided an opportunity for not only planning a hiking trip and accessing hiking trail information, but for tracking the actual hike, providing real-time trail and weather information, performing position checks, and providing online direction assistance to help a user stay on the planned hiking route, as well as other useful features.
Many mobile devices are equipped with a system for determining the device's position or location. One such device location system in wide use is the Global Positioning System (“GPS”). The GPS is generally a space-based global satellite system that receives GPS signals from three or more satellites. The GPS signals are used for determining a GPS device's current location on Earth. The current location of the GPS enabled device is determined by computing a difference between a time that each GPS signal is sent by a respective satellite and a time that the GPS signal was received by a GPS receiver of the GPS device. The time difference is then used by the GPS device to compute a distance, or range, from its GPS receiver to the respective satellite. Thereafter, the GPS device computes its own two-dimensional or three-dimensional position using the computed ranges to the satellites and a location of the satellites when the GPS signals were sent therefrom. The multi-dimensional position is typically defined by GPS location coordinates specifying a direction, a latitude, a longitude and/or an altitude.
It would be desirable for a user of a GPS-equipped mobile device to be able to utilize the mobile device for planning and tracking hikes.
In addition, it would also be desirable for a GPS-equipped mobile device to access one or more websites and/or databases across a network to provide information on particular hiking trails from other hikers, as well as to compare the skill and experience levels of other hikers with the level of the user to generate trail suggestions to the user. It would also be desirable for parts of a hiking trail information database to be downloaded to a user's mobile device where it may be edited and maintained.